Paris: Nantes fans paid an emotional tribute to Emiliano Sala before Sunday's home game against Bordeaux, a year after the Argentine striker's death in a plane crash shook the soccer world.
Sala died after the single-engine aircraft carrying him from Nantes to his new club Cardiff crashed near the Channel Island of Guernsey on Jan. 21 last year. His body was recovered from the wreckage two weeks later. He was 28 years old and entering his prime years as a striker. The pilot, David Ibbotson, also died.
A giant picture of Sala was displayed on the center circle before the French league game at Stade de la Beaujoire and footage of him playing in the traditional yellow and green of Nantes was shown on a giant screen to gentle background music. Fans looked on in respectful silence, some holding up jerseys with Sala's name on the back.
Fans then broke out into chants of "Emiliano Sala, Emiliano, Emiliano, Emiliano Sala" and clapped along to the refrain. Just before kickoff a minute's applause was held as a giant picture of Sala's face was shown on the screen.
After nine minutes of Sunday's game the crowd chanted Sala's name at length. Sala wore the No. 9 shirt for Nantes with great pride, and the number has since been retired by the club.
Nantes players wore a special blue and white jersey in the colors of Argentina's national team for the game against Bordeaux, the club where Sala started his career after coming to France 10 years ago after doing well at the Proyecto Crecer youth academy in San Francisco, Argentina.
Nantes said profits made from selling the commemorative blue and white outfit will be allocated to Sala's former clubs in Argentina.
The game was 0-0 at halftime.
It was at Nantes where Sala made his name, netting 48 goals in 133 games and becoming a fan favorite because of his hard work and unselfishness.
His imposing stature, heading prowess and ability to play back to goal prompted Cardiff - which was then in the Premier League - to agree a club-record 17 million euros ($19.3 million) to sign him.
Hours before the plane crash, FIFA had received an online document from the Welsh soccer federation to complete transferring the player's registration from France.
Since Sala's death, Nantes and Cardiff have been involved in a dispute over transfer fee payments. Last year, Cardiff filed a court appeal seeking to overturn a FIFA order that it must pay Nantes a 6 million euro ($6.7 million) first payment for Sala. FIFA ruled in favor of Nantes and warned Cardiff it faces a transfer ban of three trading windows if it refuses to pay when the case is settled.
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The Cameroon striker, who joined from Spanish side Villarreal completed the scoring in the 77th as Lyon maintained its unbeaten start to 2020.
Maxwell Cornet opened the scoring for Lyon in the 29th and striker Moussa Dembélé added the second in the 71st.
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